What happens to the sand in a sieve? What does this have to do with Montag? What comparison does he make to the sand?

When Montag was a child, his cousin said that if he could fill a sieve with sand, he would get a dime. Of course, Montag failed to get the dime because this task is impossible. The sand will always fall through the holes of the sieve, no matter how quickly it is filled.

When Montag travels to see Faber and is sitting on the subway, he remembers this incident with the sieve and the sand....

When Montag was a child, his cousin said that if he could fill a sieve with sand, he would get a dime. Of course, Montag failed to get the dime because this task is impossible. The sand will always fall through the holes of the sieve, no matter how quickly it is filled.

When Montag travels to see Faber and is sitting on the subway, he remembers this incident with the sieve and the sand. With a Bible in his lap, he tries to memorize as much of the text as possible, just as he once tried to fill a sieve with sand.

The sieve and the sand, therefore, act as a metaphor in the novel. The sand is comparable to the literature he wants to memorize and understand. Conversely, the sieve is like his mind, desperately trying to retain as much information as possible.

The sieve and the sand also represent Montag's struggle to find meaning and happiness in his life. Just as he struggled to fill the sieve, the novel charts Montag's struggle to overcome the fireman system and erase censorship from his society.